Thorns
by Tik-Tok-Sky
Summary: Semi-AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.
1. Chapter 1

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

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><p>Chapter One<p>

Name: Ciel Phantomhive.

Age: 12

Class: N/A

Info: N/A

Ciel Phantomhive was a young, small, fragile boy who lived on the streets. People who passed him always commented that he could pass as the aristocrat also known as 'Ciel Phantomhive', but everyone knew that boy had died along with his parents in a horrific house fire.

Ciel, being the kind of street kid he was, stayed out the way of things, not allowing anyone to come near him and didn't listen to the people who were asking him to come home with them, for all he knew, they could be serial killers or rapists. Snuggling into the old coat that had been thrown at him, he could tell it used to be a younger child's due to its side, so that's why he was thankful he was small.

Dark blue eyes looked around the area as his pale flesh shivered under the cold. He could feel their eyes, their eyes were on him. He was like the prey to the predator. So young, so fragile, so _weak_.

He flinched away from the prostitutes who kneeled down and petted his dark locks, which in most forms looked a really dark blue color, but it was a lot darker than his unreadable eyes. Females were strange ones, it was as if they had a… what do you call it? A mother's instinct?

Anyway, he was irritated. He'd earned the pity from prostitutes, which was near enough the lowest of the low. He watched fancy cars drive by, shiny carts being pulled by beautiful horses, people who think they are of higher class simply from the amount of money they had and what properties they owned, it disgusted him.

He couldn't believe that he too, used to be a spoilt brat. He used to run around in fancy clothes, play with expensive toys, and play board games that all kids dreamed of playing. He was used to being pampered when he got ill, when he shivered just slightly, if he moaned about bumping his toe into a door. Such luxuries were a far away dream now.

Gripping tightly on his eye patch, he placed it around his right eye, which was known as the 'lazy' eye. The doctor had told him he should cover the other eye and let this one heal, but he didn't listen. It was the one thing he could always remember, his parents covering his eye and telling him he was still the adorable young child they had always wanted.

They were gone, and he fell to pieces. The only reason he had even survived was because he was close to a fire exit when the building was suddenly set alight. Memories of flames flickered in his memory, but he cut out the rest. It hurt too much.

He was no long 'Ciel Phantomhive', he was merely just 'Ciel'.

* * *

><p>Name: Sebastian Michaelis<p>

Age: 17

Class: Aristocrat

Info: Current leader of the Michaelis Trading Company. Went to school at London academy. Other information has been withheld due to said person's request.

Sebastian was a strange one. Although an aristocrat, he treated everyone with the same amount of respect, even the street children. He said hello, had polite conversations with them and was used to being hugged, his suit always marked with dirt when little kids threw themselves at him.

Raven hair fluttered, his unusual dark red eyes glinting in the lamplight as he decidedly ignored some drunken prostitutes. Although he was polite to all, it was common sense to stay away from drunk woman, knowing fine well they'd just try and take some money by flirting and practically _daring_ him to sleep with them.

He declined to all, perfectly content. He bumped into the undertaker of the town, having a fairly reasonable conversation with him until a certain subject was brought up.

He was heading into the bad bit of town, where children of all ages were being sold off for petty amounts. He quite often went there, trying to save the ones that were still savable. So far he had saved a fourteen year old girl called Maylene, a ten year old boy under the name of Finian and a fifteen year old male teen called Bardroy. Out of all the children's lives he could have saved, so far he had only saved three, simply since the others looked broken and beyond repairable.

Stepping into the auditorium, he watched a pale, blank-eyed girl getting dragged off the stage by her new master, shuddering lightly. What the man intended to do with her, he really didn't want to know.

He sat near the front, where most of the well known aristocrats were.

He listened intently, examining the children being pulled on.

"And 'ere we 'ave young Lucy, thirteen years old, qualifications and her beauty is rather extravagant…" a smart and beautiful girl, but Sebastian could tell she was fully broken. He'd only spend his money on a child that he could at least _try_ to fix. He watched as she was bought for a small sum of £22.27, shaking his head sadly.

"This lad 'ere is called Eric. Slim, young and absolutely delectable looking-" broken. Sebastian could feel his mood lowering as he watched that boy get dragged off by a far fatter man, only slightly wondering if he had taken the word 'delectable' to heart and intended to eat him. Continuing to look up at the stage, his eyes widened as he heard shouts and yells.

"I said let go of me!" Simply from the noise, you could tell he wasn't that far gone. Keeping his eyes on the stage, he watched as a bound boy was pulled and practically thrown to the centre, struggling in his attempts to break free.

Sebastian could hears the yells and jeers at though poor, fragile looking child. His uncovered eye looked around as he struggled with the ropes around his wrist, letting out a cry as a foot ploughed on his back, his chin being kicked upwards, his frightened blue eye looking round before latching onto Sebastian, whose red eyes flickered slightly.

"This one right 'ere is our show of the day!" shouted the host, grabbing the boys dark blue hair and forcing him to sit on his knees. "We 'ave called him by the name of Ciel since he looked a lot like the deceased child of the Phantomhive family-"

Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he watched the boy carefully. He watched small fingers twitch as he managed to figure out the boy's brain was whizzing, trying to find a way of escape. He could hear high bids going up for him and bit his lip. A lot of money for one boy, but-

"£500." he shouted, causing most people in the room to stop and the host to look at him with wide-eyes before smirking.

"Any higher 'han £500?" there were a few grumbles, but other than that everyone was quiet. "Come take yer prize then…"

Getting to his feet, Sebastian approached cautiously, watching the boy eye him with hate. When he got close enough, the host let go of the child's hair and allowed him to flop forwards into Sebastian's waiting arms as he paid the £500 up-front, picking the boy up and tossing him other his shoulder in a gentle way before walking out, feeling light kicks aimed at his stomach and panicked yells.

If it were anyone else, this boy known as Ciel would have been suffering a hell of a lot more, but Sebastian's calculating mind had already picked up something that he needed to find out. He had to figure out about the boys past, one way or another.

* * *

><p>Name: Ciel Phantomhive<p>

Age: 12

Class: N/A

Info:

**Height- 152cm**

**Weight- 5½ stone.**

Sebastian frowned and then watched the boy glare at him. He knew the boy looked small and thin, but he never expected him to be so light. Probably from lack of food. He guided the boy from the bathroom, ignoring the kicks he was receiving and walked into a bedroom, where Ciel kicked out and tried to make him let go.

And that he did. Ciel fell over, hitting the ground before scrambling and looking at him with wide eyes, utter hate showing but you could still see it. The fear. The fear that he was going to get hurt.

"I'll bring up some food, try and get some rest and stay warm." said Sebastian, throwing the boy an oversized shirt. "Do you like warm milk?"

Ciel refused to say anything, but his stomach was giving it away. Biting at his lip, he turned on his heel and ran to the other side of the room, hiding behind the curtain, which caused Sebastian to blink but he shrugged. Finian had reacted pretty badly too, but was worse than how this child was acting.

Closing the door, he locked it, knowing that Ciel would run for it the instant he was left alone.

Ciel came out from the curtain, his hands shaking as he tried to reach up for the latch on the window, but he had no success. He'd need a ladder or something. He slipped on the shirt since he was cold and then ran to the other side of the room, looking for something sharp that he could use as a weapon.

He would leave here. Sure, the man had paid £500 on him, but who knew what his true intentions were? The thought of it just creepy. There wasn't anything in this room at all!

Suddenly, Ciel clutched at his head, his vision flickering as he collapsed, landing on his front and closing his eyes.

Perhaps the man would think he was dead and leave him… alone…

* * *

><p>AN: hey there! Sorry if you died from boredom when reading this fic *innoncent expression* Anyway, this is my first Kuroshitsuji fic, so reviews would be nice ^^

Hope you enjoyed, I'll update soon~

~Sky~


	2. Chapter 2

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

* * *

><p>Chapter Two<p>

Ciel's eyes flickered open before he shielded them from the light coming into the window. He felt oddly warm and comfortable, as if everything that had happened never happened, that he was still in the loving care of his mother and father.

Sadly, those things just don't happen. His eyes flickered as he covered his right one, his left one going wide. His eye-patch was gone and he could feel it twitching lightly. Sitting up slowly, he rubbed at his temples and looked round. He was still in that room and his eye-patch lay on the floor. It must have fell off when he collapsed…

Sliding off the bed and rising to his feet slowly, he clutched at his head and moaned lightly. His head hurt. It was a common thing, considering he was just a fragile human. He kneeled slowly to the floor, picking up the eye patch when he froze, hearing the door creak open as he swirled his head round.

That _man _had returned and was… bowing to him?

"So sorry for scaring you yesterday." he said, bowing low. "May I ask what your name is, or is the name you were sold off with the real one?"

"Ciel is my name." he confirmed shakily, closing his right eye quickly. "Can I leave, now?"

"Leave?" said the man clad in black, holding a tray in his hands. "Don't be stupid, you'll just get caught and sold off again, and next time you really might end up with someone who intends to use you for horrible purposes."

Ciel shuddered, his left eye going wide as he quickly covered his right one, the eye patch looping round as he tied it in a flimsy knot. He kept staring at the man, who approached him and extended his hand as if in greeting.

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis." he said warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ciel…?"

"My name is just Ciel." Said the boy warily, shaking the hand of man now known as Sebastian. A dark blue eye stared into deep red ones with caution. Sebastian could sense it. The fear that he was trying so hard to hide. Placing down the platter that had a couple of scones and a cup of tea on it, Sebastian brushed the boys hair away from his face, looking at the darkened bruises spread around his face and down his neck.

"They hurt you a lot, didn't they?" asked Sebastian with a calm aura, soothing Ciel a great deal. Slowly, he ran a finger across the boys face as he examined the injuries inflicted upon him.

It was obvious. The boy had been beaten into submission.

"I brought up some breakfast." said Sebastian, tilting Ciel's chin up and looking at the finger-printed bruises left on the pale flesh. Only slightly, he could feel the boys pulse race when his thumb traced over it. He was frightening the boy, so he pulled his hand away and pushed the platter towards him. "Eat up. I'll come up with some well-fitted clothes in around ten minutes."

* * *

><p>Name: Ciel Phantomhive<p>

Age: 12

Class: N/A

Info:

**Height: - 152cm**

**Weight:-5½ stone.**

**Bought at an underground auction, Mr. Ciel Phantomhive seems to be a shy, nervous young boy. When questioned about his parents, he ran into a separate bedroom. When asked where he used to stay, he remained silent. Other information is N/A.**

Sebastian placed down his pen and placed the piece of paper in a drawer where he kept all the information he kept on the children he saved. Getting to his feet, he brushed himself down for dust (as a true gentleman would), and walked briskly out of his office and went up a close stairway, climbing two steps at a time until he reached the room he had placed Ciel in.

Opening the door, his facial expression softened when he saw said boy sitting on the floor, eyeing the food with hunger but with total suspicious as to whether or not it was drugged.

"I promise you, there isn't anything in it." said Sebastian, walking over and looking at the cup of tea. "And I believe you tea must have gotten cold. At least try to eat something, you look rather thin."

"You expect me to eat that?" said Ciel quietly, bowing his head. "You want me to eat something when those… _those _people drugged my food and drink before pulling me onto a stage and selling me?"

"I can understand your worry." said Sebastian softly, kneeling down and breaking a cone in half. "I know it will be difficult to get you to trust me, but all I want to do it to help you."

"That's hard to believe, coming from an aristocrat." spat Ciel bitterly, tilting his head to the side as he watched the man before him eat half his scone to show it wasn't drugged. "Why would an aristocrat want to save a street rat?"

"I don't really know." said Sebastian thoughtfully, causing Ciel to go rigid. "I guess it's just a habit of mine."

Ciel hissed before getting to his feet, snatching a piece of scone and backing himself into a corner before curling up, unsure on what to do. he looked at his scone before nibbling it gently, his stomach growling with the irritation of wanting to be filled.

Sebastian got to his feet before looking at the clothes he had slung over his arm. He walked forwards, placing them on the bed.

"Get dressed and come downstairs. I'll get Bardroy to make some fresh tea." said the raven, his eyes glinting lightly as he watched Ciel take more scone into his mouth. "And perhaps I'll prepare a sweet treat for a sweet tooth such as yours."

Ciel looked up, a slight blush lighting his cheeks as he nodded slowly, mumbling something incoherent with the scone in his mouth.

Sebastian bowed low, a smirk on his face as he exited the room, murmuring to himself.

"An aristocrat saving a street rat? I think not, _Ciel Phantomhive._"

* * *

><p>Sebastian felt an eyebrow twitch as he entered the dining hall, watching Finian run round in circles, giggling as Maylene chased him in attempts to get her glasses back. Bardroy was leaning against a wall, smoking on those <em>forbidden<em> cigarettes as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Sebastian, causing everyone in the room to freeze. Finian had already been tackled to the ground and Maylene looked at Sebastian with her blurred vision, so close to getting her glasses back. Walking forwards, Sebastian grabbed the glasses from Finian as he picked him up, handing the glasses back to Maylene before he grabbed the cigarette from Bardroy, scolding him.

"I want you to remain quiet. You must not make any _sudden movements_ when Ciel comes down." he called out, watching the two teenagers and one child nod in agreement. They knew what it felt like to be scared, so they could easily comply with their saviors wishes.

The door opened slowly and Ciel peeked his head through, nibbling at his lip as he stepped in. He was wearing his stockings, an expensive wool coat with a sloppily buttoned up shirt with a cap resting atop his midnight blue hair.

Everyone stayed still as Sebastian frowned, approaching the boy and kneeling down as he started redoing the buttons on his shirt.

"Really now, I thought you would have known how to dress properly."

Ciel bowed his head. No, he didn't. His mother used to dress him and his father used to sort the eye patch and cap. Sebastian stood up before retying the eye patch around the eye it covered, watching the boy flinch slightly.

Sebastian seemed shocked when Ciel suddenly spoke up.

"Finian, why are you here? I thought you died in that house fire." Finian looked nervous as he twiddled his thumbs in an uncertain manner.

"A-Ah… you see, Master Ciel-" Ciel put his hand up, shaking his head.

"I am not longer your master." he said lightly. "I am no longer the head of that family."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow as a smirk came across his face. Oh yes, this boy was the one, the one who was to take over the _Phantomhive_ family. And of course…

To become the Queen's watchdog.

Ciel remained still as Sebastian checked his coat over, seeming familiar with the process. He looked towards Maylene and Bardroy, but no recognition came to him.

"Ciel, these two are called Maylene and Bardroy." introduced Sebastian. "Maylene likes to call herself the head maid and Bardroy is learning how to cook."

Ciel nodded in acknowledgement. He was not to act spoilt here. He had already decided to drop his title so he would not look down on anyone. Well, he could try at least.

But when you deliberately try not to look down on people… it was as if his spoilt side was trying to jump out once more.

_His name was Ciel, just Ciel._

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><p><em>AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter._

_Majorness, the snow has started once again *shock horror* _

_Leave a review? It would really cheer up my very cold, snowy day ^^_


	3. Chapter 3

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

* * *

><p>Chapter Three<p>

Sneaking carefully, Ciel glanced down the hallway, flinching when a floorboard creaked. He knew his bedroom was near Sebastian's, but it would simply be embarrassing if he was caught in the process of-

Getting food? Since Ciel was being too overly cautious, he refused to eat food given to him, unsure if it'd be drugged or not. So if he could sneak into the kitchen and steal a slice of the cake.

"Ciel, what are you doing?" Ciel covered his mouth not to yelp from the fright he got and when he turned round, he paled to see Sebastian standing there, candle holder in hand. The more humiliating part was the fact that his stomach growled loudly. They before remained still before Sebastian smirked, leaning down and petting Ciel on the head. "Hungry?"

Screwing up his nose, Ciel was about to deny it, but his stomach clenched in a painful not, causing him to double over. Sebastian pushed him along, heading to the kitchen while murmuring to himself.

"This is what happens when you don't eat." said Sebastian quietly, lighting the oil lights and smiling lightly as the cautious boy. "I can't wake Bardroy at this hour, so I'll make the food. You can even watch so that you know it isn't drugged."

Ciel glared at him, irritated that he was practically a mind reader. He sat on a high stool, watching Sebastian grab some eggs and cracking them open, the sticky liquid falling into a pot as he placed it on top of the stove, opening the grill/oven and placing a few slices of bread in it. Scrambled eggs would be light enough for his stomach to cope, right?

Stirring the raw egg, Sebastian was slightly started at the question the boy sitting next to him threw.

"Why did you save me?" asked Ciel quietly, his head bowed as he clenched his hands. "I mean, you already know that I can't do much other than watch your movements and get in your way, so why-?"

Sebastian pressed a finger to his lips, smiling gently as he closed his red eyes.

"I saved you since I thought you needed saved more than the other children there." he said. "I don't buy things beyond repairable."

"I wasn't anywhere near broken though!" squeaked Ciel, folding his arms. Sebastian chuckled and petted his head while he stirred the eggs.

"Of course." he said, still smiling. "So I saved you before you got abused in some way or another."

Ciel paled further, but understood what he meant. He had heard the horror stories that happen on the streets. Murder, beatings, rape. Those were the three most common, and it made Ciel shudder. Now he didn't mind, since it seemed no one was going to hurt him here. Finian had been safe this whole time, so shouldn't he be safe too?

Pulling down a plate from the cupboard above his head, he placed the scrambled eggs on the plate before pulling out the grill, placing the toast around it while grabbing the silverware. out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian watched Ciel watch every single one of his movements as he handed the plate over.

It was shocking how fast someone so young could shove food in their mouth, but Sebastian wasn't all that shocked. The others had done the same. Red eyes glinted slightly as Ciel fidgeted, chewing the food eagerly.

Sebastian found the behavior of certain humans oddly strange. Sure, he was human too, but he counted himself totally different from them. Normal humans were selfish, greedy…

He tried to help everyone he came across, simply because he did not wish to go to the depths of hell like most people were going. Thing was though, everyone thought he was a demon that took children away to suck out their souls…

Just because of the color of his eyes. It irritated him, but he let it go. He wasn't willing to get into an argument over his red, very close to cat-like eyes. He took the plate off the boy before him, smiling and closing his eyes as Ciel looked content yet exhausted.

"Would you like a glass of-" Sebastian stopped and then leaned forwards to catch the boy who just passed out as his facial expression softened. The boy would settle down eventually, he just had to be patient.

Yes, patient.

* * *

><p>Name: Ciel Phantomhive<p>

Age: 12

Class: N/A

Info:

**Height: - 152cm**

**Weight:-5¾ stone**

Bought at an underground auction, Mr. Ciel Phantomhive seems to be a shy, nervous young boy. When questioned about his parents, he ran into a separate bedroom. When asked where he used to stay, he remained silent.

Quite fragile and easily restless, Ciel Phantomhive is often plagued by nightmares and tends to wake up screaming through the night and looks for the sharpest object he can find in the room. Whether or not it is to harm others or himself is difficult to decide. Other Information is N/A.

Sebastian updated this file everyday as he learned something new. It had been five days since he had brought Ciel into his household and he was feeling a little off. Perhaps as illness of some form?

Looking in the mirror, he examined his eyes and frowned. They'd gotten a little brighter and looked more cat-like than anything else. He needed to make an excuse about them. Perhaps just bloodshot?

In any case, it was quite common for ones eye-color to change, just not so drastically. It had happened more and more in the past five days, and he often got headaches. For now, he could ignore it…

Somehow.

Exiting his room, he bumped into Maylene, watching he sweep the stairs in an elegant manner before she started fussing over him, a blush on her cheeks.

"M-Master Sebastian! What happened to your eyes…?" she asked, looking at the closely through he glasses. "Maybe you should drink some milk! That should help!"

"I'm afraid milk only helps bones, Maylene." chuckled Sebastian, petting her on the head before he walked down the stairway, rubbing at his temples. He could hear Bardroy in the kitchen, but he hadn't found either Finian or Ciel.

Walking into the library, he raised an eyebrow to see them both sitting quietly, playing a game of chess. Finian looked stuck while Ciel just clasped his hands together, smirking. If he'd known they liked playing games, he would have gotten more of them than just a chessboard.

"Checkmate." said Ciel. Sebastian glanced at the chessboard, and true enough, Finian had lost.

"A skilled player at chess, I see?" both boys jumped in fright, Finian falling off his seat and Ciel inches off from hitting Sebastian's face. "Now, don't get alarmed by such a minor thing, Ciel, Finian."

"Are us children not meant to be startled when someone sneaks up on us and then suddenly we hear a voice?" said Ciel stubbornly, folding his arms. A dark blue eye stared into brightened red ones before he froze. "I-I… need to go…"

Ciel ran out the room and left Sebastian puzzled as Finian blinked stupidly, bowing to the raven and smiling.

"Thank you so much for taking in Ciel, Master Sebastian." he mumbled. "I thought he was dead…"

Sebastian petted the blonde haired boy on the head and smiled, closing his eyes. Finian seemed a lot happier now that he had someone of a closer age to him. Kneeling down, he picked up the child's favorite straw hat and placed it on his head.

"Can you tidy the chess set up for me? I need to go check on Ciel."

"Y-Yes!"

* * *

><p>Scrambling up the stairs, Ciel stumbled into the bathroom, panting lightly as he ripped his eye patch off, examining his eye. He knew there was something wrong with it, he knew there was something wrong with it the instant he entered this house!<p>

Opening his right eye slowly, he paled dramatically His eye glowed purple. He was scared. He never thought that he would inherit the Phantomhive ability. It usually showed at a much younger age, so since it never showed before, his parents had just shrugged it off as 'he doesn't have it' and petted him on the head, giving him a patch for his eye.

Phantomhive's had the ability to sense demons, but Ciel hadn't been able to pick on the aristocrats demon since it was sealed away. It must… It must have come out after being around him and his soul too much, but it seemed Sebastian hadn't noticed anything different about himself.

It was a scary thought, but Ciel had to hide the fact that he knew something Sebastian didn't-

He nearly screamed when red eyes appeared in the mirror, but his mouth was covered quickly. Peering more closely to the mirror, he saw that it was Sebastian standing right behind him, a concerned expression written over his face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, oblivious to Ciel discomfort. He let go of the boys mouth and kneeled down, his thumb tracing under his right eye. "It… changed color…"

"You really can't say much, _Sebastian_." growled Ciel. "Look at your own ones. Don't you dare say to me that they're bloodshot."

Sebastian was confused as he smirked lightly. such an intelligent boy had secrets he really wanted to know. It also seemed that Ciel knew something about him that he didn't know himself.

"Care to explain what is going on?" asked Sebastian, raising an eyebrow as his piercing eyes checked over the boy. His eyes looked panicked, but his body was showing the most calm a child could ever hold. He was pale, his skin clammy, his hands clenching.

"Sure thing, _demon_."

* * *

><p>AN: Oooohh, my head is gonna... EX-plode... I've gone on a writing overload o.e

Hope you enjoyed the chapter... Now _please _go look at the poll that determines where the story goes~ Hope you enjoyed~

Leave a review for me~? It'd make me happy (happier even xD)

~Sky~

2nd A/N: I don't know if the pollis working *frowns* It's open, posted on profile... Can someone tell me if it's working or not? Thank chuu~


	4. Chapter 4

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

* * *

><p>Chapter Four<p>

"Demon, you say?" said Sebastian, looking amused over the name he had already been called before. "Explain your reasoning for calling me that... _Ciel Phantomhive_."

Ciel himself was unaffected with the name. He had suspected the raven before him had known his true identity from the very beginning, and if he didn't, then Finian probably gave it away. Standing tall, his normal eye closed while the one that glowed purple looked him over carefully.

"There have been numerous hints this whole time." explained Ciel, taking a couple of steps away from him. "Your eyes sudden change in colour, that fact that you've suffering headaches when being around me for long periods of time, and your lack of appetite in 'human' food."

Sebastian blinked his sharp red eyes, unsure on what to say. He knew everything that was happening to him, but it still didn't explain how he was a demon.

"You always thought yourself 'different' from other humans. Indeed, you are different from them in nature, but if you count in creature, however.." Ciel smirked and allowed a grin to spread across his face. "Remember, I like to play games, and figuring you out was like piecing together a puzzle game."

Sebastian couldn't help letting a smirk come across his lips as he felt the temptation to rub at his temples increase. Talking to the boy right now was stirring a headache, but he put that down to not getting much sleep. There was no way what Ciel was saying was true.

"And of course..." Ciel felt his heart pound as he tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck and scratching a nail down it, causing a small amount of blood to ooze from the wound inflicted. "I know you can sense the high pressure my souls been giving out."

Sebastian didn't know when he had done it, but he had grasped Ciel's throat with one hand and slammed him into a wall, causing the boy to cry out in pain while clenching his eyes shut. His eyes were glowing a dangerous red as he was gritting his sharp teeth together, watching pale hands reached up for his hand in an attempt to pull it away. Using his nails, Ciel gripped it into Sebastian's hand, earning a hiss but it didn't make him move. This is what happens when you provoke an untamed demon.

He could sense it. Sebastian was truly a kind person... _In the human flesh. _But his normal form was like the spawn of the devil. Tensing, Ciel let out a gasp, forcing his eyes open only to shock himself. Sebastian was shaking. It was as if he was fighting for his control again. He could see those red eyes looking at him, but behind them was the kind man who had taken him in before.

Ciel's eyes flashed open as he choked, feeling the grip on his throat tightening. He kicked his legs weakly in his futile attempts of escaping. For a twelve year old to be able to out-strength a seventeen year old.

Closing his eyes slowly, Ciel felt himself going limp, his hands falling from the raven's wrists as he lolled his head forwards. He didn't really mind if he died, since he would get to be with his mother and father again, but he was still scared. Ciel could always remember his father saying that when he died, that he probably wouldn't see him again. He would either go to hell to suffer, or his life just ends there and he'll reincarnate. There is no such thing as 'heaven'.

His mother told him not to listen to him, but how could he not listen to that? He wouldn't know what happened when he died!

A stray tear trickled down his cheek, landing on Sebastian's hand. Sebastian seemingly snapped out of it then, letting go of Ciel quickly and looking at his hand with wide-eyes. There was blood there and on Ciel's neck. He could remember Ciel deliberately scratching his neck and making it bleed, tempting him and-

And after he couldn't remember. He looked at the boy was sprawled across the floor, unconscious. Bruises were spreading across his neck, replacing the fading ones. Sebastian kneeled down and looked for a pulse, sighing with relief to find one. He picked him up, looking at the near-enough peaceful expression on the boys face and the already drying tear-stains.

He was a horrible person. He just hurt a poor child, even though he couldn't remember doing it. Strangely enough, however, a smirk still crossed his face without him noticing as he walked out of the bathroom and into Ciel's bedroom, walking slowly to the bed and laying said boy down, placing blankets over him and tucking him in.

Brushing the hair away from Ciel's face, Sebastian ran a finger over his right eye, silently contemplating to himself. A demon... A demon was a horrible creature that didn't care for other humans, right? So he couldn't be one. But if Ciel of the Phantomhive family had told him, then it was probably true. They had that family ability, after all.

* * *

><p>Ciel walked down the stairs, his shirt sloppily done, his stockings a little too long and the wool coat he wore hanging loosely on his frame. The cap was hanging lop-sided, but he didn't really give a damn. He rubbed at his sore throat, buttoning his coat up an extra button to hide the bruises.<p>

He appeared in the games room, and his eyes glinted slightly when he saw a pile of new board games sitting next to a chess set that was half played. He was curious on who was playing and didn't continue the game. He wouldn't leave until he finished a game, unless he was certain he was going to win.

He walked over to the pile of board games, noticing that there were also puzzles. There was a game that was clearly meant for older children, since it required a lot of logic and the ability to think mathematically. It looked like a game where you were trying to become richer than the other player by buying properties, renting them out, etc. It seemed silly for a game, but it was also intriguing.

"I thought you'd go straight to that when you spotted it." Ciel jumped, toppling over and falling on his backside, turning his head round to see Sebastian sitting in an arm-chair, seemingly playing chess by himself. "I'm trying to improve my skills so I can hopefully beat you at a game."

Ciel blinked at him and unconsciously reached for his neck, which Sebastian noticed instantly. He looked ashamed of himself, or so Ciel thought as he allowed his hand to drop to his chest, bowing his head.

"Don't you dare apologize." said Ciel softly, causing Sebastian to cock his head to the side, his red eyes looking him over. "I kind of deserved it for trying to provoke the demon inside of you. I just didn't think that your true self would try to kill me."

"But it's still me." said Sebastian, causing Ciel to nod. "So I'm still going to say it. I'm sorry."

"I do not need your pity." said Ciel suddenly, raising his head and allowing his blue eye to harden. "I am the Queen's watchdog. I can deal with something so minor."

"That is hard to believe. You were crying before you passed out." said Sebastian slowly, getting to his feet and kneeling down and stroking Ciel's cheek softly. "And when I first brought you here, you claimed to be a 'street rat' when you were a well known aristocrat."

"I tossed the title aside since I didn't think I had the ability to sense unnatural beings." said Ciel, clenching his fists before swatting Sebastian's hand away. "But since I now have that ability, I will do what I was born to do. The Queen's watchdog has to make sure things stay settled in the underworld."

"A young child such as yourself cannot take a burden like that." said the raven firmly, refusing to let his arms be swatted away as he gripped the boys shoulders firmly. "You have a full life ahead of you, you shouldn't-"

"I will do as I please!" shouted Ciel angrily, suddenly freezing and then pushing the man before him away, watching as red eyes flickered and he backed into a table, biting his lip at the pain that rushed up his spine. Sebastian was kneeling on the floor, gritting his teeth again as he stayed still. It was that same feeling he felt last night, and it wasn't pleasant.

Ciel stayed still when the door open and Maylene walked through with a broom, only to stop and look at the two of them with a confused expression.

"What are you two doing, Master Sebastian?" she asked innocently. Ciel turned his head towards Sebastian, who was hiding his eyes with his hair as he rose to his feet, smiling.

"So sorry to worry you. We were playing Charades." said the raven softly, walking to her and petting her on the head. "Keep up the good work, Maylene."

She nodded, blushing lightly as Sebastian quickly exited the room. Ciel bit his lip and gave a half-hearted bow to Maylene before he ran out the room, still hiding his neck as he hid his own eyes.

* * *

><p>Coughing and clutching at his chest, Ciel leaned his head against the wall as he continued his midnight trek to the kitchen, this time for <em>sure <em>getting the sweet treat he desired. He walked into the kitchen, but stayed at the door when Sebastian was in there, pulling out a cake from the oven before he turned round and spotted Ciel just standing there, a tight grip on his nightshirt.

"Heart-burn?" asked Sebastian, slicing the cake in half and lathering the middle with chocolate butter cream and sprinkling some cocoa on it. "Go get some milk from the cooler room. I'll warm it up for you if you want."

Ciel nodded warily, walking across the kitchen and pulled the door to the cooler open. Walking through, he grabbed the milk but when he turned round, he frowned when the door shut itself. He couldn't see the handle, so there wasn't much he could do. His skin was already getting cold, so as he felt at the wall, he found the handle and pulled it, but it wouldn't open.

"Sebastian?" he called nervously, still pulling at the handle. "The door won't open!"

He heard something being placed down with a clatter and then heard footsteps walking over. He felt Sebastian tug on the other side, but it wouldn't open.

"Have you locked it from the inside?" he called back. Ciel blinked and then felt over the door. He didn't feel anything strange.

"No."

"It's just jammed, give me a moment." Ciel nodded, before sighing. Obviously Sebastian wouldn't see him nodding through the door. He wanted out now, he was getting rather cold and his flesh was covered in goose bumps. After a few minutes, he was shivering and Sebastian hadn't come back.

"Sebastian?" he got no response and he started walking about, dropping the milk from his numb hand and turning round and round in circles in his attempt to keep warm. His nightshirt was made of silk, so it wasn't really helping much as he clenched and unclenched his fists to keep them from going to a painful numbness.

He looked up into the darkness when he heard noise from the other side, shuddering from the coldness and wobbling lightly, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. The door was pried open, but he didn't move, he simply slid down the wall and remained still before he felt warm arms pick him up and carry him out.

"You caught quite a chill. Staying in there for twenty minutes with only that silk shirt probably had it's bad affects." Ciel nodded in agreement, snuggling into Sebastian's chest, seeking the warmth. Sebastian managed to carry him one handed, going back into the cooler while keeping the door open with his foot and grabbing the milk before placing it on the counter, opening a cupboard above his head and grabbing a pot, turning on the stove before pouring milk into it.

Ciel stirred a bit when he smelt milk mixed with honey and brandy warming up, clinging to Sebastian's shirt in a childish manor. During the day, he was stoic, but at night, his mind kind of shut off and he acted a little clingy when he felt at his weakest. Night time was jus a strange thing for him. Maybe it was the nightmares it brought with it?

He whined when he was brought away from the warmth and sat down on a chair, only to be delighted when the milk was put down in front of him. He took it in both of his hands, the heat from the milk coming through his hands as he drank on it, blinking in confusion when Sebastian pulled it away from his lips.

"Do not drink it so quickly, you will make yourself sick." scolded Sebastian. Ciel's dark blue eye looked at him as if to say 'I don't care' but he did as told, drinking it before he stopped at the slice of cake being placed in front of him.

"Chocolate Fudge cake tastes good with hot milk, no?" Ciel smiled and actually let out a small laugh. Indeed, milk and cake went really well.

Perhaps not all demons were bad.

* * *

><p>AN: *yawn* I had this written on THURSDAY! STUPID HURRICANE! YOU STOPPED ME FROM UPDATING! HYAAAA!

*cough, cough* Anyway, Hope you enjoyed the chapter~

If you haven't voted in the poll, then i suggest you do it now, since by the end of the school day, whatever the results are, that's going to be added to the story ^^

Review for Sky? Please (review-lover lol)

~Sky~


	5. Chapter 5

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

* * *

><p>Chapter Five<p>

"Checkmate." Sebastian frowned. Surely he could not already be in checkmate? His queen had not been spared, both his knights were out an apart from a few measly pawns, he only had a bishop and of course, his king. Examining the board, he quickly learned that, yes, he had officially lost and yes, he was beaten by a child five years younger than him.

"You win again, Ciel." he congratulated the boy, watching him curl up in his blankets and shivering. A week had passed since the cooler incident, and Ciel was really ill. Perhaps he should call a doctor? He showed all the symptoms of having influenza, but the other things were strange. Ciel was no longer eating, and he got heart-burn every night. He wanted to vomit even though he his stomach was empty.

He started coughing, his one showing eye clenching shut as he flopped back, gasping for air as Sebastian kneeled in front of him, trying to comfort the boy in some shape or form. He could sense something flickering inside him, but he point-blank ignored it. He'd be damned if he let the demon control him-!

"S-Sebastian..." coughed Ciel, causing the older male to pat his back gently. "Y-You're going to make yourself ill if you suppress i-it..."

"I believe it is you who is ill." countered Sebastian, blinking in confusion when Ciel grabbed his hand, coughing lightly.

"Make a contract with me." said Ciel abruptly, causing Sebastian an raise an eyebrow in confusion. A contract of what? Last time he made any form of contract was when he agreed to give 10% charity donation each month to the London hospital through the high profits he made in his toy manufacturing company.

"How do you mean?" asked Sebastian calmly, stroking the boys cheek as he bit his lip, fighting the urge to bite him and suck out his soul. Ciel leaned back, shivering and coughing as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"I want to make a seal contract..." said Ciel, letting out a small gasp of discomfort. "Basically, it means that you can go to your original form-"

Sebastian hissed. What the hell was Ciel thinking? Why would he want to turn into a demon? The very idea was horrific!

"-and stay in your original form-"

Explain _why_ he would want to stay in a form like that?

"-but as a demon, you can change your form, so you can make yourself look human and-"

Wouldn't it be easier if he just _stayed_ human? Seriously, why allow his demon self to go on a rampage when he could just keep the shell of a human?

"-by doing this your body will be instantly calmed by me feeding you a part of my soul when your hungry, but not enough for it to be damaged for a long period of time." Sebastian looked shocked. So basically, Ciel wanted him to allow this demon to take over, make a contract with it, allow the 'demon' to have his personality but have it's special abilities and in turn he wouldn't feel the urge to attack anyone? It made a lot of sense, but what was the catch?

"For this contract to work, I just need you to promise that you'll always be by my side. Not as a slave or anything, just be there."

Sebastian nodded unconsciously, feeling the white glove being pulled off his hand as he looked up at Ciel to question what he was doing; he let out a loud hiss as something burn on the top of his hand and then blacked out.

Ciel focused on what he was doing, but he felt scared. In order to complete the contract, he had to meet with Sebastian's 'true' form. The very thought scared him. He watched the dull red eyes glow bright and then gulped, slipping his fingers under his eye patch and letting it glow it's strange purple before he cried out, feeling a firm grip grabbing his face and picking him up, throwing him to the floor.

"_A child such as you wants to make a contract with me?" _it snarled, leaving Ciel on the floor to cough and splutter. _"You do have a tasty soul, but why should I make a contract with a mere human?"_

"It's either that, or you'll die since Sebastian won't give into his hunger urge." snapped Ciel, both eyes opening and glaring at the... the thing that wasn't even Sebastian. The creature seemed outraged. He only had two choices. Die a painful death, or allow this _Sebastian _to be the one in control. If he let Sebastian be in control, then he would never have control again unless Sebastian gave it up.

A hard decision, a very hard one. Snarling loudly, strong hand swiped down and grabbed Ciel by his wrists, slamming the boy into a nearby wall and taking delight in the cries of agony it caused. The boy was ill, really ill; the demon could pick that up really easily. If he just sucked the boys' soul out now, he'd die right after it, so only one decision could be made.

Dropping the boy and letting him collapse on the floor, he let out a screeching howl.

_"If you dare make me regret this decision, I'll kill you!" _it screamed, before vanishing and letting Sebastian fall onto the ground, eyes closed and his fists clenching. Ciel forced himself to crawl over and grabbed Sebastian's hand, looking at the small star formation that had just been burned there. He let out a sly smirk as he fell over onto of Sebastian's chest, closing his eyes and gasping for air.

When Ciel passed out, Sebastian woke up, sitting up abruptly, causing Ciel to fall onto his knee as he wiped at the sweat that had formed on his head. His vision and hearing felt too sharp, it was making him feel dizzy.

Sitting for a few moments, his eyesight adjusted, and as he looked down, he panicked lightly to see Ciel lying limply on his knee, dark blue hair hiding his face and his lips slightly parted, breathing shallowly. Lifting Ciel up and cradling him in his arms, he rose to his feet and exited the room, fully intending to nurse the boy back to health as he ignored the burning pain in his hand, worry getting the better of him.

Little did he know that Finian soon stepped put from behind the curtain, his expression shocked and his eyes watering as he bowed his head.

"Master Ciel... Be careful..."

* * *

><p>"I do not need to be treated like royalty!" Ciel bellowed, but Sebastian paid no heed. He continued to button his shirt as the boy coughed into his hands, crinkling his nose in disgust.<p>

"Besides, I do not see the point in me going to the hospital to be checked over!" he continued, rubbing his cold nose. "It is simply a bad case of flu. I do not need to go see them!"

"If you make any more noise, Maylene will come in here and hit you with a broom." said Sebastian, moving his fingers nimbly against him, his eyes twitching lightly in irritation. It was going to take some time to get used to this.

Now starting to button up the coat and securing the stockings, Sebastian kneeled down and started on the shoes. Ciel seemed irritated beyond belief, but he might just be annoyed since he was lacking energy at the moment.

Ciel glanced up and stayed still as a cap was placed on his head and a scarf wound round his neck, shivering lightly as the small movement brushed over his sensitive skin. He knew he was ill, but he didn't like admitting it to the whole world!

I blinked when he felt his glowing eye being covered by the silk eye patch Sebastian had bought him, his other eye darting about before resting as it looked into bright red orbs. They were very cat like, the pupil narrow as the red shimmered lightly. He looked near enough the same; minus the fact his teeth were a little sharper and his eyes brighter. The rest of him retained its normal form.

"I swear, if this trip is pointless, I will strangle you until you turn blue!" Sebastian chuckled, moving blue hair away from the boys face.

"I assure you, it will not be pointless. When we return, we shall get some hot milk and honey."

* * *

><p>"He has influenza." a doctor confirmed, causing Ciel to roll his eyes. He already knew this information, could he go now? "But we can't figure out why he had all these other symptoms."<p>

"I'm just frail." said Ciel, clicking his tongue as his eyebrow twitched. "Can I go now-?"  
>"Is there any medical record for a child called 'Ciel Phantomhive' in this hospital?" asked Sebastian, causing Ciel to splutter. He just gave his real name away!<p>

"Ciel Phantomhive? We do have a medical record for him, but that's confidential information belonging to the Phantomhive's. Only a Phantomhive can access that information."

"Well, Ciel is the last survivor of that family." continued Sebastian, ignoring Ciel's outraged splutters. "Is there any proof needed to show that he is a Phantomhive?"

"The Phantomhive ring?" Ciel shook his head, the doctor furrowed his brow. "The Phantomhive sealing contract?"

Ciel grew rigid when Sebastian walked behind him and undid the eye patch. He kept his eye clenched shut, shaking his head in denial. Sebastian sighed.

"He does have it, he's just being stubborn." commented Sebastian, poking the boys ribs lightly, causing him to squirm. "Isn't that right, _Ciel…?_"

Ciel frowned before closing his other eye, taking a deep breath before opening his seal one. It glowed lightly, examining the doctor before him.

"I believe that's enough verification." said the doctor, bowing slightly. "I'll go check the records right now Ciel Phantomhive was here often as a child."

He walked off, and then the arguing began.

"You had no right to ask about that!"

"It's all for good reason though."

"It's my health, not yours!"

"I think I agreed to look after you."

"I never wanted you to agree to it!

"Be quiet. I'm only concerned." finished Sebastian, covering Ciel's lips with his finger, his red eyes glinting slightly. "We'll find out what's wrong, and then we'll go home."

Moments later, the doctor came back through, his eyebrows furrowed as he flicked through pieces of paper.

"It says here that Ciel Phantomhive has a life-threatening illness." he said, causing Ciel's cheeks to pale. "According to this, his stomach is a little deformed and can often turn on itself, the acids inside burning a hole through his stomach layer. If it got to such a bad extreme, then it would enter his bloodstream and kill him in a slow, painful death."

"So some form of stomach disease?" said Sebastian bluntly, catching Ciel as he collapsed backwards. The doctor nodded.

"It's all I can really say. If he's not careful, it'll kill him."

Red eyes glinted and Ciel's mismatched ones closed. He felt oddly numb after finding all that information out and Sebastian was worried. There wasn't really much he could do about it.

All he could to was make sure Ciel's body had enough nutrition, warmth and guarantee he wouldn't get stressed to the point where his stomach flipped.

There really wasn't anything else that could be done.

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^ Leave a review? Thank you ^^

~Sky~


	6. Chapter 6

Thorns

Summary: Semi-AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

* * *

><p>Chapter Six<p>

"Don't touch me! I can walk by myself!"

Sebastian stayed still, looking at the pale boy over and over as he let the information he just received swirl round his head. If he was shocked, it was hard to imagine on what Ciel himself was thinking. He was, after all, only a twelve-year-old boy. Of course he was going to be afraid, every child had the right to be afraid, right?

Ciel grasped the side of his arm, shaking lightly. Inside, he always knew he was ill, but he always wanted to deny it. He could remember, as a child, receiving highly expensive food to prevent his stomach from turning, but his parents had always said he was 'special'. They kept the truth hidden from him for too long. A child should be sheltered, but eventually they learned the things they were eventually meant to learn.

"Just take me home... I-I feel tired..." Sebastian nodded, staying close to the boys side since it looked like he would topple over any minute now. Ciel closed his eyes and forced himself to walk, keeping his head held high.

He was Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen's watchdog. Showing weakness over a petty disease would not slow him down. Not ever.

* * *

><p><em>SMASH.<em>

Ciel clutched at his stomach, panting lightly as he looked at the glass of milk that was now splattered across the floor. He trembled before reaching out and clinging to counter, shivering as he fell to his knees. Two days had passed since his trip to the hospital, and he'd already been warned that it would get worse before it would get better.

He let his hand fall from the counter, trying to take deep breaths as his hair framed his face, his eyes clenched shut. He'd endure it, he always did, he would.

_SPLUTTER. COUGH._

His eyes opened a crack as he covered his mouth, looking at what he just spewed up. He was sure it was vomit, but it looked like blood more than anything. It was a horrible red, like the blood he saw on his parents charred skin. He clenched his eyes shut again as his throat constricted, bringing up more of the horrible, copper tasting liquid, filling his mouth before he spat it back out.

His vision flickered, and before he could flop down into his own mess, he felt warm arms wrap round his torso, pulling him to his feet as he wobbled. One eye cracked open and was greeted by a glowing red one. His small fingers clasped around Sebastian's sleeve as he retched slightly, shuddering as he forced himself to lean back against the warmth Sebastian was giving off.

"How long have you been up?" asked the raven softly, causing Ciel to turn his head and sigh.

"A while." he mumbled in return, half-caring that he was being treated like a toddler that was learning to walk. "I needed a drink."

"You should have woke me up." Ciel shook his head.

"I'm perfectly capable of-" Ciel was cut off as he choked, clenching his eyes shut as Sebastian patted his back firmly, allowing the boy to clear his throat and then wiped a little blood that was trickling from his lips away.

"Remember, the Queen has requested to see you, you can't have her seeing you in this state." Ciel nodded, his eyes drooping as his legs buckled, causing him to fall back and rest his head against Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian turned his head round, hearing a small shuffle that he normally wouldn't have heard and a slightly panicked breathing pattern.

"Finian, you know you should be in bed. I left plenty of water for you to drink and you had plenty for supper." he called out, causing the air near him to tense with the others worry. "Do you want me to punish you again?"

Finian stepped out, twiddling his thumbs as his lower lip trembled. Light blue/green eyes watched Sebastian cautiously, as he shook lightly, unsure on what to say.

"I-I was worried ab-about Master Ciel-!"

"You know he would scold you if he knew about this…" said Sebastian, picking Ciel up and holding him bridal style, making sure the frail boys head was leaning against his shoulder comfortably. "Remember, you're the only one he knows from where he used to live originally. Do you want to make him fret over your well-being?"

"N-No! I only wanted to-!" Finian was cut off when Sebastian hushed him, blinking red eyes at the trembling child before him.

"I'll inform Ciel in the morning about your worry if I have the time, but if you want to help him, then all you have to do is keep yourself _safe_." murmured Sebastian quietly, his cat-like eyes whirling and glowing faintly.

_"This __world __is __not __a __safe __place __when __you __are __surround__ed __by __people __whose __names __will __be __forever __written __in __history."_

Finian gulped and then nodded, turning on his heel and running for it, through the corridors and back into his small bedroom. Sebastian's eyes dimmed as he gritted his teeth, feeling a sudden headache come on. Ciel would deal with it later on, but he always dreaded it. He always lost consciousness when it came time to _feed_, but Ciel had told him it was perfectly natural. He didn't like it at all, since it seemed that his inner 'demon' always threw a flip and attacked the defenseless boy before eating some of his soul.

He knew the demon in him knew not to take so much that it would dramatically affect Ciel and that the soul could recover, but it still sickened him this it was his body and his hands that caused Ciel so much pain in the process. He made a vow to protect the boy from now on, despite the fact Ciel didn't actually want it.

He cradled the boy gently, watching him snuggle into him for the warmth. He looked rather cute when asleep, but what he saw during this time was not allowed to be spoken when he was awake.

Walking up the stairs, Sebastian stopped when he heard Ciel mumble to himself. Was he trying to say something? No... It sounded like he was half mumbling, half humming a tune.

"_London Bridge is falling down... falling down... falling down... London Bridge is falling down, my fair... lady..."_

* * *

><p><strong>One week later <strong>

"I don't like her."

"You cannot say that, it will be taken as an insult to the Queen."

"She treated me like a little kid as she handed me the damn assignment!"

"I heard she has a thing for children. Remember how many children she's had and how many have died or been killed...?"

"... I lost count..."

There was an awkward silence as Ciel flipped through the files he had been given. The cart he was sitting in was all jiggly, and he was growing irritated with it. Sebastian sat next too him, fixing the top-hat he had bought for Ciel meeting the Queen and adjusting the eye patch. The new-heeled boots Ciel had on his feet were rubbing his heels dry, he wanted to take them off and throw them at that arrogant-

"Endure it Ciel, it's not worth being hunted down for." Ciel scoffed before looking at Sebastian seriously.

"Did you hear what happened to the last watch dog of the Queen?" Sebastian shook his head. He hadn't exactly known much about the Queen's watchdog, only that whoever the person was at the time was actually really well known. "The last person who was her majesty's dog was brutally strangled, stripped of all clothing and then was hung from a high pole in the busy streets of London. A horrific and humiliating death."

Ah, sure enough, Sebastian could remember reading about that not long ago.

Ciel glanced out the carriage window and his facial expression softened at all the poor kids running round, laughing and giggling. He smiled before turning back to Sebastian, handing him his papers before leaning back.

"Wake me up when we get back home."

"Of course."

* * *

><p>"So this is meant to be…" Sebastian paused as he tried to remember what Ciel's brief summary was. "You are meant to be checking your old mansion out since some untamed demons have taken over it?"<p>

Ciel nodded.

"And you are meant to get them to leave and take it back?" Ciel nodded once more. "But the risk factor is through the roof since these demons are pretty vicious?"

"The only reason it's going to be risky for me is because they will have access to my medical record since they have been living in the Phantomhive estate." said Ciel, narrowing his eyes. "I know I am her majesties watch dog, but putting me on such a challenging mission that _also_links back to my past is a little odd."

"Perhaps she is trying to get you to prove yourself?"

"I doubt it. I've already proved myself by still being alive. The assignment seems a little fishy."

"I see, what shall you do about it then?" Ciel stopped and clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm.

"I am the head of the Phantomhive family, I will carry out my orders." said Ciel, closing his eyes and letting out a held in breath of air. "It shouldn't be too challenging. All I have to do is out-smart them and-"

Ciel froze, feeling Sebastian, pet his head before hugging him firmly. He wasn't used to getting such attention anymore, so it felt a little odd. Staying still, he felt his body relax slightly as he leaned against the raven's shoulder.

"Hot milk and honey?" Ciel nodded unconsciously, blinking when Sebastian withdrew from the hug and walked out the room. "Think carefully about your decision on this assignment. To me, it sound too dangerous, but I'm not in control of your life, Ciel."

Ciel nodded calmly, watching the door shut behind him before he sat down in an armchair, watching the flames of the coal fire flicker as he placed his night in action.

"Let us see what a knight can do to protect the king… Sebastian…"

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter ^^

Reviews? ^^

~Sky~


	7. Chapter 7

Thorns

Summary: Semi-AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven<p>

"Ciel?" Sebastian paused, chapping the door lightly. "I'm coming in!"

Opening the door slowly, Sebastian frowned when he didn't see the boy spread out across his bed, sleeping with his head tucked in his chest. He glanced round the room, noticing the files the queen had given him were still on the desk, apparently half-read. Looking towards the bathroom door, he noticed it was slightly ajar.

Walking over, he placed down the teapot and the teacups, peeking his head round the door before he opened it fully.

Ciel was lying on the ground, breathing raggedly as he choked lightly. This would be the third time in two weeks that he'd collapsed through the night. Kneeling down quickly, he picked the frail child up and took him away from the cold bathroom floor, laying him down on the bed.

"Idiot…" Sebastian stopped, raising an eyebrow. "I am perfectly capable… of looking after myself…"

"After seeing you like that, it's clear you are not." said Sebastian, clicking his tongue. "I brought up some earl-grey tea for us to drink, but if you'd prefer, maybe you would like water-"

"Tea is fine." muttered Ciel, swatting Sebastian's hands away and sitting up slowly. He clutched at his stomach lightly as he looked upwards, looking at the files on the desk. "Can you pass them to me?"

"Certainly." said Sebastian calmly, pouring a cup full of warm liquid as he gathered the papers up. "I hope you were not up all night doing this, Ciel."

"It is not your concern on how much sleep I get at night." Sebastian checked him over, his eyebrows knitting together. His eyes looked dark, tired. You could tell he was tired since he had forgotten to cover his eye up, but he wasn't going to mention it. He looked beautiful as he was.

"Sebastian, what the are you looking at?" said Ciel abruptly, causing Sebastian to snap out of his trance. "Is there dirt on me?"

"No." he said, shaking his head and smiling lightly. "Although, you should get washed and dressed, you said you wanted to go into London and investigate about the Phantomhive Manor?"

"Of course." said Ciel, sipping his warm drink and closing his eyes. "It'll be too risky walking in there and going 'this is my manor, get the hell out of her demons', now wouldn't it?"

Sebastian chuckled. So young, so sarcastic. He glanced down and looked at the file that was laid on the bed, an eyebrow raised.

"John Anderson?" Ciel opened his eyes and gave the raven a questioning look.

"He's the demon who has apparently taken over my manor." said Ciel, yawning lightly. "Do you know him?"

"He owns a trading company like me." Sebastian knitted his eyebrows together, reading over it. "He's more a person who does 'on-land' trading, while I do mine by shipping."

"Perhaps you are thinking of another John Anderson." said Ciel, handing over the photograph he found somewhere in the files he was holding. "Does he look familiar?"

Sebastian scanned it over before nodding. Dark brown hair, brown/red eyes and a trail of freckles down the left hand side of his face. It looked as if he was smirking, but it was hidden behind an innocent smile. Handing the photo back, he wracked his brain, trying to remember the last time he had actually _saw _this man.

Around two years ago.

"Make preparations for the cart. There's something I'm not getting." said Ciel suddenly, getting to his feet.

"What is it you are not getting?" asked Sebastian. "If you were not in the manor, then-"

"My parents died in that manor." cut in Ciel, his facial expression hardening. "The question is, how is he in property of a manor that was nearly burnt fully to the ground?"

* * *

><p>"Phantomhive Manor?" the lady said, causing Ciel to nod. "It was a bloody miracle that one! I checked it out! One day it looked beyond repairable, the next it was like it was spick-span new I say!" Ciel looked at the lady, the temptation of rolling his eyes growing harder with each passing second.<p>

"Are you sure you didn't imagine it? It's hard to believe that such a manor could be repaired so easily." Ciel ignored the glare the woman gave him. He was here to get information and that was final. Looking to the side, he saw Sebastian asking a male who was loading up a cart for information too. Hopefully they could get this over and done with quickly.

"Everyone thinks it's a miracle!" she said angrily, bristling as she walked away. Ciel rolled his eyes, sighing as he listened to Sebastian's conversation.

"Ah, so you are delivering some oil and grain to the old Phantomhive Manor?"

"Nah, it's known as the Anderson Manor now. He's the one who repaired it, and since that kid can't be found, he just took the land for his own use."

"I see, so Ciel Phantomhive's body was never found?"

"Apparently so. But to tell ya the truth, the Queen's got a new watchdog, apparently he's the spitting image of that kid! Perhaps it's his spirit taking over some poor, helpless child?"

"I doubt that very much, sir."

"Who are ya anyway? It's not often an aristocrat just stops and talks to some random street worker."

"Ah, of course. Allow myself. My name is Sebastian Michaelis and-"

Useless. He was having meaningless chit-chat now. Looking round, he walked up to the man and then tapped the back of his shoulder. He didn't turn, but he still replied.

"Anything I can help you with, sir?" he asked pleasantly, but Ciel's mind suddenly started whizzing.

"I was wondering if you could give me information on the Phantomhive-just-turned Anderson Manor." asked Ciel, eyeing the man cautiously as he started chuckling, tilting his hat forwards.

"Can I ask who you are, little child?" he said, turning round as Ciel's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"My name is Ciel. I work for the London press." he muttered. "And I am not-… a little… child…"

Brown/red eyes looked him over, a smirk still crossing the males face as he stared at the eye patch on Ciel's face, making him take a step back. Glancing backwards, he saw Sebastian still talking to that same one person and bit his lip. If he was here, he could have identified the man immediately!

"You are not a little child?" he smirked, leaning down and cupping Ciel's chin roughly. "I don't even think you've grown half-an-inch since the last time I saw you… _Ciel Phantomhive_."

It wasn't safe to be here, it wasn't safe at all. Ciel tried to pull back, but he felt his arm being grabbed and he refused to make a sound. It would be unsightly if he yelled in public. Sebastian still hadn't noticed what was going on! And to think he was _meant _to have those stupid _demon-like_ abilities after the seal was made.

Perhaps he was just deliberately ignoring them? It didn't seem like it. Pulling his arm, Ciel frowned when the man wouldn't let go.

"Let go." growled Ciel, blue eye glinting. "I do not have time to play your petty games. Ciel Phantomhive is _dead_."

He froze the next moment, feeling his eye patch getting torn away from his face. It was instinct reaction, but his other hand reached up to slap the male across the face, but it was stopped instantly. His one eye was wide as he clenched the other shut.

"If you are not _Ciel Phantomhive_, then why are you afraid of showing me your eye?" Ciel remained still, turning his head round and then blinking when he noticed Sebastian wasn't even there. Where the hell did he run off to? Did he seriously just _go _to the manor without _him_?

He let out a sudden yelp when he felt a thumb go over his eyelid and pry it open, leaving a glowing purple orb in its wake. The man before him chuckled, his brown/red eyes glinting and glowing lightly.

"It appears you've already made a contract with someone." he said. "A pity…"

"Let go of me!" Ciel was beyond panicked, his eye had already picked up that he was a demon _and _that he was John Anderson simply from the look of him. He smirked, spinning Ciel round and then grabbing him by the throat.

"You do not understand how _long_ I have waited to find you. Two years of searching and you've been here all along." whispered the male quietly, causing Ciel to go rigid. "I was meant to find you first and have the lovely contract you can offer demons, but since your seal is with a demon so _strong_, it would be impossible for me to get one too. I need to eradicate him from your memory."

"Let… go…"

"Oh, I will. Soon enough."

* * *

><p>Sebastian clenched his fists, his eyes glowing brightly as he looked round for Ciel. It was as if he had just vanished. He was talking to a woman one moment, and when he left with the cart man when he was trying to explain where the manor was, by the time he returned… Ciel was gone.<p>

He could see some horrified expressions on the faces of prostitutes, and as he approached them, they all paled.

"Are you his accomplice or something?"

"Please don't kidnap us too! I have children to feed!"

"Someone phone Scotland Yard!"

Sebastian was confused. What the hell were they talking about? Accomplice? Kidnapping? He wanted the answers now. Bowing low, he gave off that signature smile that made everyone calm.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I do not know what you are talking about." said Sebastian, looking up and staring at a blonde woman. "Can someone please explain the situation?"

"A young boy 'ere was kidnapped!" they all screamed, running round in circles as Sebastian tried to stay calm.

"Can you explain what this boy looks like?" asked Sebastian, one red-headed prostitute (who was the only one calm at this point) approached him, a sorrowful expression on her face.

"I think it was that boy came here with, Mr. Sebastian." she said quietly, her eyes focused on the ground. "The man who took him away kept rambling on about searching and seals and Phantomhive's. I don't really understand what was going on, but he knocked the boy out and took him away! No one could stop him since we don't know where he vanished off to!"

Sebastian nodded. It was a bit obvious, Ciel Phantomhive had been kidnapped by the demon who had taken over his manor.

* * *

><p>Snapping his eyes open, Ciel sat up abruptly, clutching at his stomach and hissing as he looked around the room. He paled instantly when he recognized where it was. It looked… exactly like his old bedroom…<p>

Sliding off the bed and standing still, he looked round, biting his lower lip as he stared at the half burnt photos around him.

He couldn't look. It hurt too much. He couldn't bear the thought of looking at his parent's faces after all this time… The last time he saw their faces, they were burned, bloody, ruined.

He walked over to the door, pulling on the handle, and unsurprisingly, it was locked. He could just out the window, but that would result in a painful, painful death. He used to live in this house, so he knew there were no secrets passages. His bathroom was located in the far corner and the toys he used to play with were still sitting where they were from when he was younger. Was this John trying to make a replica of the home he used to love so much? Or maybe he was trying to make him insane?

Now that he thought about it, perhaps being trapped here isn't so bad. He did have to get this manor back under her majesty's orders, but... The question was if he could survive long enough to do as she requested. He was determined not to become the weakest guard-dog out there, but he as a normal, breathing, human... was weak.

He also needed to figure out what this John meant by searching for him for so long. Did he know he was alive the whole time? Or was it _him_that killed his parents and ensured he survived?

First of all, he had to attract attention if he wanted that man to show up again. Grabbing the nearby oil lamp, he hurled round and smashed it through the window, earning a lot of servant's shouts as his door was unlocked moments later. John Anderson stood with his arms crossed, a smirk crossing his face as he looked at the boy before.

"Ah, that took me a lot of time to build." he said, faking a tragic expression as Ciel glared.

"Probably only seconds, _Demon_." spat Ciel in return, his hands clenching. "Now explain why you have brought me here without killing me!"

"Hmm..." John seemed to contemplate it, before a sinister smirk crossed his face. "Really I only want the seal you _willingly_ gave away to Sebastian Michaelis, but it's going to take a while for you to drop it."

"Why would I give the seal to you?" snapped the younger, his purple eye snapping open and glowing brightly. "I gave the seal to someone who deserved it! You are just an arrogant creature that doesn't care for humans at all!"

John chuckled, Ciel glared. He approached the boy before him slowly, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up.

"That may be true, but I always get what I want in the end." he said, laying a hand over Ciel's right eye as his own eyes shimmered, his orbs swirling a dangerous red. "Sebastian Michaelis is a tamed Demon who can control his urges due to you. His powers are at a sharper and more demonic level since he gets fed a part of your soul per day. Eating your soul would give me power, but not for a long period of time. That is why I want the seal."

"You are not getting it." said Ciel defiantly. "I gave it to Sebastian since he deserved it and I know he would never hurt me. He's a demon, but not one who only craves power for their own use."

"I see." said John, his expression darkening. "I believe if I use enough force, he can hear you in his thoughts?"

"I haven't gotten to such a level that I can-" Ciel stopped as his blue eye suddenly clenched shut, a loud cry escaping his throat as it felt like his eye was being burned out. He was about to fall back, but a hand kept his head up, therefore keeping the rest of him up. "W-What are you doing? S-Stop it!"

"Just sending a message to your _befriended__demon_."

Ciel felt his vision flicker as he felt his throat constrict from the screams he let out. He felt weak, horribly, horribly weak. He felt himself going limp as he slumped forwards, closing his eyes as he fell into the awaiting arms of the enemy. He internally flinched, feeling John pet his head while chuckling lightly.

"Indeed, a strange one you are, Phantomhive."

* * *

><p>AN: *eye twitch* Have I just created an OC that I already want to SLAUGHTER?

Ok, I think I'm going to kill him soon, but who do you think should kill him, Ciel or Sebastian? *see's bloody things in head* Muha ha ha ha!

Hope you enjoyed the chappie, adios!

~Sky~


	8. Chapter 8

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

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><p>AN: WARNING- A bit confusing and very _creepy _(for me to write anyway).

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><p>Chapter Eight<p>

Even covering his ears didn't make the noise go away. It sounded so loud, the screaming. Why was he hearing screaming? He wasn't near anyone and there was screaming. Maybe he was going delusional?

Red eyes flickered as he gritted his teeth, trying to figure out what was going on. Sebastian was already worried since he didn't know how to get to Ciel, and now he could hear screaming that sounded _exactly_ like Ciel!

His cart stopped all of a sudden, and when he questioned on what was going on, the driver started screeching before everything went quiet. What the hell was that?

_CRASH_.

Usually, his reflexes wouldn't have been fast enough to act, but before he knew it, he'd gripped onto the door and hung there as the cart skidded before deliberately dropping himself as the cart hit a wall. His eyes glowed as his eyebrow twitched; bashing his hand off the side of the wall and breaking it open, stepping out completely unscathed.

Looking at the main road, he noticed that his cart driver was dead; knife plunged deep in his throat. It looked horrible, but that wasn't Sebastian's worry right now. He wanted to know who had attacked his cart, and he knew the cart had stopped too, so it was a question that he really wanted answered.

Who would have been strong enough to move the cart, and from where it hit the wall, no one could have made it go that far. Was it some form of unnatural creature? A demon like him perhaps.

'_W-What __are __you __doing? __S-Stop __it!__' _It was definitely Ciel's voice. Was he in trouble? Was someone hurting him? He looked around for the attacker, but sadly he didn't find one. He, or perhaps she, probably fled for it the instant they done it. Cowards.

'_Don't touch me! Let me go!'_ Sebastian furrowed his brows. The voice sounded panic stricken and scared. From the lines spoken, it could mean a great many a things, but Sebastian couldn't just think of the worst case scenario. He had to think of a way to get Ciel back. If he was being treated roughly, it wouldn't be good on his stomach.

'_Don't touch my eye! Stay away from me!' _his eye? What about his eye? Did that other demon want to do something with his eye? That wasn't good, not good in the slightest. He concentrated on where the man he had spoken to earlier said the Phantomhive Manor was, but he could remember hearing that it was quite a journey away.

'_You aren't getting it! Let go of my head!' _Sebastian flinched as he kept walking, listening to the shouts and the screaming. Right now, he could tell Ciel was probably kicking out at the other demon. That boy wasn't one to remain caged.

'_W-What the hell… is that…?' _Sebastian stopped moving, listening carefully. He could hear struggling, and it was irritating him beyond belief that he couldn't _see_ what was going on! He started walking a little more quickly, focusing on his thoughts as he felt his eyesight adjusting to the darkening sky.

'_No, NO! Stop it, STOP IT!'_

He started sprinting, running a lot faster than he expected himself. He didn't like the sound. It was the sound of someone suffering. Ciel didn't deserve that, he didn't deserve any of it.

* * *

><p>It was cold. It felt too cold.<p>

Finally getting his face lifted from the bucket of ice-cold water, he started gasping for breath. His eye still shimmered purple though his blue one had dulled due to the water hitting it. It stung like hell. What did they put in this, salt?

Turning his head round, he looked at the male who was grinning a toothy grin before his eyes stared with hate at the demon who leaned against the wall, an evil smile playing across his lips. Did he enjoy watching him freeze? Did enjoy watching him being partially drowned? Did he enjoy watching him shiver and collapse?

"You know, I can make all this go away if you give the seal to me." said John, giving off a fake yawn as Ciel glared at him coldly.

"No. Sebastian will be keeping the seal since he deserves it. You do not." spat Ciel in turn, earning a boot from the toothy man. He hit the floor, hissing while giving off that stubborn expression. He would not give up that easily, they weren't doing anything too-

_COUGH. SPLUTTER._

John raised an eyebrow, watching as blood dripped over his office floor in distaste. It was a pretty colour, but on a cream carpet… it just didn't go.

"Dip his head back in the water again. It's the fastest way to clean it up." the toothy man grinned, grabbing Ciel by the air and dunking his head back under, laughing loudly at the thin arms that tried to push him away.

If he could scream in water, he probably would have done it by now. The salty water went up through his nose and burned his throat and lungs. His eyes stung as he struggled, feeling a painful stabbing feeling as more water filled his lungs before he was pulled back out, thumped on the back and tossed on the floor. His eye flickered slightly as he tried to figure out what part of the room he was staring at.

"That'll do for today. Drug him and then put him to bed."

* * *

><p>Everything in Sebastian's head went quiet. He couldn't hear the screaming anymore. Did that mean Ciel was no longer conscious? Maybe he was dead. He slapped himself before stopping, taking in a deep breath of air as he tried to remember where the manor was again. He thought it urgent that he got there quickly. He could sense a lot of pain, yet he could sense the stubbornness streak.<p>

He paused next to a tree, looking at the large manor before him. With that one building, you could probably fit up to 4000 people and still have room. He eyes glinted as he focused on one window, watching a male stand there talking to another, who had a boy in his arms. Sebastian frowned. Indeed, Ciel was unconscious, but it was a question if he passed out or if he was knocked out.

Leaned next to the bark, he rolled his tongue over his slightly sharper teeth as he watched the second male walk away with Ciel, so it easily determined that the first was John Anderson. For a demon, his name was awfully simple. Maybe it was to hide the fact he was more than human?

Then again, Sebastian had a perfectly normal name and all, but people still screamed demon at him because of his eyes. Then again, his were maroon/red, while John's were brown/red. He still really couldn't see the difference.

Shaking his head, he straightened up, a smirk crawling across his face as his eyes blazed slightly.

"_Kill the bastard, get Ciel back. Simple."_

* * *

><p><strong>8 hours later<strong>

Ciel kept his mouth sealed shut, refusing point-blank to eat the food the toothy torturer gave him. His purple eye still glowed brightly, so there was no way his seal with Sebastian was cracking yet. Looking to the side, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He could sense it. There were two demons in this place, and one of them was instantly recognized as Sebastian.

He was in the building. Ciel shrugged internally. Sebastian must have taken the words 'stay by my side' very seriously. It was a good thing; it didn't mean he was alone. It meant that he too had a demon on his side, and probably a far stronger one at that.

Letting out a sudden yelp, Ciel closed his eyes when he felt his hair being dragged backwards and a spoon practically being forced down his throat. The spoon was twisted, causing it to clatter on his teeth before being yanked out. Ciel opened his eyes and looked backwards when his hair wasn't let go of.

"Today we aren't doing physical torture." said the toothy man, causing Ciel to frown in confusion. "Mental torture always does better than anything! So when you through this, I want you to have a nice, full belly just so I can watch you vomit all over the floor!"

Disgusting. Grotesque. Horrific. Those three words swirled round Ciel's head as he rolled his eyes. Mental torture? Give him a break; nothing could mentally hurt him now. He watched his parent's burn to death after all-

Paling, Ciel bit his lip. But what if John Anderson really was the one who murdered his parents? He could easily whip up something to traumatize him if he was actually there, but...

Ciel didn't now this demon's ability. They were all different, but all demon's had fast healing, sharp hearing, eyesight and smell, and if in a seal, can communicate with whoever sealed them even if they were thousands of miles away. After that, they were categorized off. Category one was intelligence. Demon's with this category can outsmart most with a simple twist of words and can turn mind games into reality if they can confuse the enemy enough.

Category two was magic and sorcery. These demons were very sadistic when it comes to screwing with peoples heads, making the unreal happen and making humans truly believe they are 'angels' when clearly they are not. This is probably the least common category for demons, so it is quite rare for a demon to have it.

Category Three is Strength and Natural Abilities. This is quite a common trait, leaving a demon to rely solely on combat ability or the natural ability they happened to have. Ciel could remember his father telling him once that he had tamed a demon that actually had an ice-ability, but that was another story to tell.

If demons don't have any of these categories, they're registered under 'common'. In under words, pretty much harmless until they get one of them. As a child, Ciel had always been surrounded by demons, but his mother and father ha a separate contract.

His parents formed a Faustian contract, which meant that they could have any strong demon they wanted under their thumbs and in exchange, sacrificed their souls. They had the sealing ability too, but they chose to give away their souls and then had forbidden Ciel from ever using a Faustian if he managed to inherit the family ability.

He preferred the seal anyway; it meant that when he died, he could actually start afresh. Sometimes he wondered what had actually happened to his parents souls. They died, but since the demons they made contracts with failed to protect them, then they should have been free.

Ciel clenched his fists as he was dragged off, confused when he was dragged downstairs instead of upstairs.

The instant the door to an underground room was open, Ciel started screaming. They were here, they were... were... their corpses... No... This couldn't be happening. Although they'd been dead for over two years, he could still recognize them. It sickened Ciel as he was dropped to the ground, clutching at his stomach and he vomited across the floor, earning a couple of claps from behind him as he raised his head weakly. John stood with his arms crossed before unfolding them, walking over to the corpses with a smirk on his face.

"Perhaps I should toy with them for a while?" he said, causing Ciel to snap his head up in dismay as he chuckled. "Or more simply, you could break your seal contract with _him_."

"I r-refuse..."

"Very well." Ciel covered his mouth, feeling the urge to puke once more as his vision became hazy. His attention was turned back to the corpses when they began to move, heads turning towards him as he felt his eyes burn. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't cry-

"Ciel, my darling..." Ciel looked at the female corpse, trembling. This could definitely pass for a nightmare. He clenched his fist, shaking his head as he looked away from her.

"You're not real... y-you died..."Ciel stopped when he felt a disgusting hand that once belonged to his father cup his chin, eyeless sockets looking at his face with a rotten smile. He felt himself going green, his purple eye glowing brightly as it determined what kind of creature the 'corpse' was. It was obvious John was under category two, but it was still hard to cope with, especially when he was forced to suffer his dead parents talking to him and touching him.

"Remember what I offered you, _Phantomhive._" Ciel remained still, his eye wide as his dead mother hugged him weakly, flakes of dead skin landing on his clothes. He felt his eyes well up with tears as he felt his dead father pat him on the head and his dead mother whispering raggedly in his ear.

"We love you, our darling Ciel..." it was growing steadily harder to think that these corpses were dead. They could speak, they could move. They knew the right things to say to him. They looked horrible, but they... were being so kind...

"M-Mother... Father..." mumbled Ciel, unsure of himself as he felt his eyes dull. Just for a flash of a second, he saw them back in their normal forms. Maybe if he just let go... They would come back. Relaxing a bit further, they slowly restored themselves, but he suddenly started screaming as the purple orb in his eyes cracked, leaving a jagged line as it flashed.

"Ciel, just let go..." said his mother soothingly, her orange hair swishing across her now normal looking skin. "Let it all go... and we can stay together, forever..."

"Come on son, we can go play games again..." said his father, his hand still resting on his sons head as he screamed loudly. "You know you want to... We can return to being a loving family... A happy life, one where you won't feel tormented and you will no longer have to suffer pain..."

"B-But, Sebastian- I-I-I can't-" Ciel let out another dry scream as he cowered, his purple orb cracking again. He flopped forwards, landing in his father's arms as his mother held his hand tightly. "I-I can't... I w-won't... no... n-no..."

"Just let _go_."

* * *

><p>Sebastian suddenly let out a loud hiss as his hand burned. He pulled off his glove and examined his hand, his red eyes glowing a dangerous red as he noticed the blood trickling from it. The mark was cracking, and he could hear the screams in his head. He clenched his head and then peered out from the cupboard he was hiding in.<p>

There were still tons of people walking about, and he knew they would be able to pick out he wasn't a member of staff that worked here with a mere glance.

'_I-I can't... I w-won't... no... n-no...'_

Something bad was happening. H could feel the distress, but it was growing weaker as more time passed, the mark on his hand burned and then cracked some more. Did something happen to Ciel?

_'Mother... f-father...'_

Mother? Father? Weren't they dead? Sebastian could remember that Ciel had told him that his parents died in a house fire. He looked at the mark on his hand once more before he bit his lip. It had separated into several different shapes, but it still hadn't vanished yet. He still had time.

* * *

><p>It felt warm. He felt the warm arms of his mother wrapped around him and the gentle pet to the head from his fathers hand. The pain had died down a lot now, although it had briefly returned when John leaned over him, grabbing his hand and placing it on top of his own and his eye cracked a little more when it got covered by the other demon's hand.<p>

His parents told him to relax, so that's what he did. He ignored the shooting pain that went through his skull and clenched both his eyes shut, hearing a harsh chuckle near his face.

"I always get my own way, _Phantomhive_." Ciel snapped his eyes open as he felt something burning under his hand. Although he made a contract with Sebastian, it never felt like this. Perhaps it was because Sebastian was originally a human with a demon sealed inside him, but John Anderson was a full-fledged demon. It was hurting him.

"S-Stop-!" Ciel was hushed when he felt a soft finger press against his lips. He glanced at his mother, who was giving him a warm smile as his eyes flickered shut. John withdrew his hand and looked at the cracked mark that had been left.

"He's struggling." said John knowingly, turning to the toothy male behind him. "In order for me to get the full benefit of the seal, I need Sebastian Michaelis _dead_. The boy is struggling since he's sharing his soul to two sources, and his spirit is only strong enough to manage one right now. He belongs to me, so get rid of _him_."

"Yes sir." the man grinned, rubbing his hands together as he looked at Ciel with an amused expression. "Since you have the seal, are you going to drop the illusion and make him enter a world of misery?"

John contemplated it, looking at Ciel who seemed quite content in the two corpse's arms.

"No." he said. "I'll keep him in the illusion. If I do that, then he won't try to fight against me when I feel up to feeding. Although, I wonder what Sebastian's expression would be to see the boy he rescued sleeping down here with the dead corpses of his _parents_."

"You are cruel indeed, my lord." said the toothy man, rubbing his hands in greed. "I shall do as you requested."

John nodded, watching the male scuttle off as he continued to rest his gaze on Ciel. The two corpses he was manipulating and placing an illusion on were acting like the perfect mother and father to him. He lit some candles before exiting the room, a maniac smile on his face.

"Now all I have to do it deal with you... _old __friend._"

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><p>AN: This is the last update until Monday ^^ Hope you enjoyed~

Leave a review for little Sky? Thank chuu~

~Sky~


	9. Chapter 9

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

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><p>Chapter Nine<p>

'_Ciel... Ciel...!'_

_They sound loud, as if in panic. Why were they in panic? Weren't his parents holding him in a firm hug? Weren't they there for him? It was dark, cold. He knew he was asleep, so why was it so... Ciel couldn't think of the words to describe it._

'_Just let go.' let go of what? He didn't have anything to let go of, did he? He was just... hold on, was he holding onto something? If he held onto something… Something flickered, something red. Sitting up slowly, he looked round, looking at the red light glow and shimmer. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't put his finger on it._

_Getting to his feet, he followed it, despite the fact that his mind screamed at him not to. Moments later, the light stopped; making Ciel stop as well as he stared at it. It was darting about; circling him like a lion would a lamb. Ciel tried to keep up with it, but it kept disappearing from his sight before flashing back into view._

_When it vanished fully and left Ciel in the dark, he clutched at his head, clenching his eyes shut and shouting._

_'SEBASTIAN!'_

* * *

><p>"Stop resisting me you little brat!" hissed John angrily, feeling the thrashing boy beneath him shout in his face, trying to head butt him in his attempts to break free. The two corpses of his parents sat motionless at his side, losing the illusion since Ciel wasn't behaving. Small hands tried to pry the hands away from his throat and crying out, spitting out the blood that flowed from his bottom lip out.<p>

"S-Stop..." came the dry response, flinching when he felt a hard slap come across his cheek. His eyes stung, but he still refused to cry. His stomach clenched painfully, blood surging up his throat and dribbling out his lips. A purple eye flashed open, cracking further as his fingers twitched, reaching up and scratching at John's wrist.

"I can't believe I searched for you for _two__years_." snarled John, half caring that he was strangling Ciel and crushing him to the floor. He was more than pissed. He was hungry, and the boy before him point-blank refused to hand any of his soul over. Not even his blood had any traces of soul in it. "Give it to me!"

"No... N-No..."

* * *

><p>Jumping back, Sebastian ducked and then looked up at the dagger that was just above his head as he reached out, grabbing the toothy males wrist before forcefully swinging him at a wall. Getting to his feet, he reached up and traced the line of blood trickling down his cheek and sighed.<p>

After hearing Ciel say something about his parents through his mind, he had leapt out of the cupboard and knocked out anybody who got in his way. So far, no one had been a problem other than the person he was dealing with. He came out of no where, swooping down and slashing at his head, only managing to make a large gash across the left side of his face. Sadly, it had caught in his hair, causing some of it to be cut off.

"My, it cost quite a bit of money to get that hairstyle." said Sebastian, pulling of fake hurt in his expression while being slightly mocking. "I thought you would have known better than to aim for the _hair_."

"Your acting a little too relaxed for being in an enemy's territory, _Sebastian__Michaelis._" muttered the toothy man, getting to his feet while rubbing at his wrist. "That is still the name you go by, is it not?"

"It's the name I have gone by since the day I was born." Sebastian's eyes glinted. "Of course, if you are talking about the demon inside me, I don't believe I have asked what his name is, not that I'm interested."

"You are one strange demon..."

"You are one hideous servant." Sebastian took a step back, ducking down before rolling out the way, jumping upwards over a dining table and scraping his hand over the silk sheet, picking up some silverware as he landed on the other side, his eyes focusing as he threw one of the knives, smirking when it caught off the others cheek. That's one way to get revenge.

Although, he was starting to feel guilty since the person before him was a full human. It could be counted as cheating since he had a demon on his side. Then again, this human was incredibly strong and-

When did the toothy male get in front of him? The only reason Sebastian had noticed the man was in front of him was because of the knife that was stabbed into his shoulder. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt that much. Grabbing the mans wrist, he twisted it until it snapped before he kicked it out the way, his tailcoat fluttering.

"Ah. You ruined my coat. That is unacceptable." growled Sebastian, walking forwards and stepping onto the guys gut and pushing down, his eyes glinting in distaste. He kept the silverware knife in his hand as he reached down to stab the male through the chest when he heard screaming, in his head and nearby.

"IT ISN'T YOURS! LET GO OF ME, NOW!"

Sebastian froze before snapping out of it, booting the toothy male across the room and throwing the knife before turning and running.

* * *

><p>Hitting a nearby wall, Ciel got to his feet again, clenching his fists as he looked upwards, looking at the demon who was before him. It seemed he really had angered him now, and he didn't like what he was seeing.<p>

When he saw Sebastian's true form, he was shocked to see that it still looked somewhat human, but then again, it may have been the demons choice to look like that. The only difference was that it had claws, sharper teeth and menacing blood-red eyes with that horrid aura it gave off.

John Anderson's true form was scary. Black wings decorated his shoulders, stretching out and surrounding Ciel's small frame and trapping him against the wall, clawed hands gripping on his shoulders as heeled boots clicked dangerously, fanged teeth gritting together as John's head leaned down, teeth opening and grazing across the delicate skin of Ciel's neck.

Since when did demon turn into damn vampires? Straining himself, Ciel pressed against the wall, feeling his shoulders being gripped tightly as he tensed his muscles, which it the worst thing to do when he was about to get hurt. His eyes were clenched shut and his breathing was ragged. He flinched when he felt those teeth against his neck, shaking internally. With Sebastian, it didn't require any physical contact; it only required him to leak some of his soul when necessary, but if he done it here, John would get it too.

Pushing his hands against John's chest, he tried to push him away, but he couldn't. He was too weak. Too small and fragile. He was _pathetic..._

"Give it to me..." Ciel shook his head, crying out when his purple eye cracked some more. Blinking, he choked when he felt the skin on his neck being scraped, his purple eye widening as it glowed brightly.

"Let. Me. Go." hissed Ciel, shocked that the demon actually done as he asked. Looking forwards, he let a smile crossed his face as John just stood there, growling as he clutched at his clawed hand. Ciel stayed still, his eye still glowing as his head darted to the side, his face brightening as he spotted Sebastian coming through.

"Sebast-"

_SMACK_. Ciel could hear Sebastian's yells as he hit the wall and crumpled to the floor, clutching at the back of his head before letting it go, looking at his hand to see sticky blood running down his fingers. Was he bleeding? But it... didn't hurt...

He could hear growling and hissing, the clash of steel on steel. Eyes flickering, Ciel glanced up, his minds feeling hazy.

Sebastian was struggling. He only had silverware to fight with while this _thing_before him had steel like claws. Strangely enough, he wasn't doing too badly. Out of the four knives he had, he still had three, one being knocked out from his grip and landing near Ciel's head.

It was hard to land a hit on the demon before him since he was protecting himself with steel claws, before attacking him. Sebastian only just managed not to get stabbed in the gut, before throwing himself to the side, stabbing the demon in the arm before tearing it across, blood splattering across his face in a disgusting way.

He darted round the room, ignoring the corpses that made him sick before freezing momentarily, nearly stepping on Ciel, but a moment was all John needed.

Grabbing Sebastian by the throat, he smashed him into the ground, using his magic to make Sebastian's mind go hazy.

"I never did like you." hissed John, tightening his grip on the raven's throat and watching in delight as blood was brought up. "You always bet me in trades. Little did I know you were actually something _more_ that human. A human with one of the strongest demons sealed inside him."

"At least I was born human-!" Sebastian choked as he felt claws sig into the sides of his neck. If he didn't do something now, he was going to die, the demon screaming in his head told him that enough. Closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening the once more, they glowed a bright red. He was just about to lunge forward and strangle-

_STAB_. Blood sprinkled across his face, but he knew it wasn't his own. John flopped on top of him, who he immediately shrugged off before looking up, seeing Ciel standing weakly, the silverware knife clutched tightly in his hands.

"I thought you were… here to save me…" muttered Ciel, dropping the knife and falling to his knees, clutching at his head. "To think… I saved you instead. I thought you were stronger than that, Sebastian."

"Well, at least you were on more familiar terms that I was on demons." said Sebastian, leaning forwards to catch the boy who fell forwards. "I only came here to get you back, not fight with a master-obsessed human and a demon."

"Heh…" Ciel opened his right eye, letting it water as his cracked orb slowly repaired itself. He felt Sebastian hold him tightly, smiling just slightly but then covered his eyes as he glanced at the corpses in the corner.

"I'll make sure they receive a proper burial in the Phantomhive grounds and have fresh flowers delivered there." said Sebastian, petting the boys head before pulling it back, looking at the blood trickling down his fingers. "I need to get you back to my manor so I can treat you."

Ciel nodded weakly, his eyes closing as he slumped against Sebastian's chest, his breathing slightly hitched as he searched for warmth. Sebastian let a smirk cross his face as he picked Ciel up and marched right out, laughing softly.

* * *

><p>When they got home, Sebastian had bandaged Ciel's head, placed a long, brown plaster across his left cheek to hide the bruising and dressed him in warm layers, tucking him. He looked so fragile and so weak.<p>

Sitting next to Ciel's bedside, Sebastian read a book before turning his attention back to the small boy, who had just let out a small whimper as he turned his head. Ever since he was brought back from 'that place', he had always tossed and turned, probably from nightmares.

It was quite understandable. He was forced to sit with his parents corpses and Sebastian could tell they'd been manipulated to a certain extent. He had done as promised, gotten them buried and letting Ciel lay flowers at their graves. It wasn't the brightest of ideas, considering Ciel had collapsed shortly after that from straining himself, but a promise was a promise.

Getting to his feet, Sebastian gave a small bow before exiting the room, shutting the door quietly as he let a smile crawl across his face, walking down the dark hallway and into his office, opening a drawer and pulling out a file.

Name: Ciel Phantomhive

Age: 12

Class: _**Aristocrat**_

Info:

**Height: - 152cm**

**Weight:-5¾ stone**

Bought at an underground auction, Mr. Ciel Phantomhive seems to be a shy, nervous young boy. When questioned about his parents, he ran into a separate bedroom. When asked where he used to stay, he remained silent.

Quite fragile and easily restless, Ciel Phantomhive is often plagued by nightmares and tends to wake up screaming through the night and looks for the sharpest object he can find in the room. Whether or not it is to harm others or himself is difficult to decide.

On further date, Ciel Phantomhive is now the Queen's watchdog, and has managed to survive his first task from the Queen, but just barely. He is sure to become one who will always be remembered.

Sliding the file back into the cabinet, Sebastian smiling widely before his expression faltered, hearing screams erupt from Ciel's bedroom and making him run.

He had rescued a bluebird trapped in the thorns, all he had to do was heal the wounds left behind.

* * *

><p>AN: Last Chapter is tommorow (December 20th). It's not the END end though, the sequel 'Thorns II: Finding a Bluebird' while be published in January, along with the sequel to my Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fanfic sequel 'Pieces II: Hunting the White Devil'.

See ya all tommorow for the last chapter, thanks for all the lovely reviews!

P.S, I think I have issues with ending the stories beginning a series in ten chapters, don't you think? Oh we;;~

~Sky~


	10. Chapter 10

Thorns

Summary: AU. Sebastian, an aristocrat of the Michaelis family, one day came across a small, frail boy allowing himself to die on the middle of a pathway. Taking him in, he learns about the boys true past and his life-threatening illness.

Rated: T+

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><p>Chapter Ten<p>

Screams echoed down the hallways as Sebastian ran up the stairway, turning a sharp left and appearing at Ciel's door, opening it without knocking and entering, red eyes glinting as he looked for the screaming child.

He wasn't in bed, nor was he at the desk or bedroom. The bathroom was wide-open, so there was no way he would leave the door left open. Sebastian sighed, walking over to the bed and falling to his knees, looking down to see Ciel laying there, his head hidden in a face as he cried quietly.

"Did you see them again?" Ciel nodded, refusing to show his face as he shaked, small hands gripping onto the pillow tightly. "I'm sure they do not blame you for their deaths, you can blame John Anderson for that-"

"It wasn't him." said Ciel, his voice cracked and muffled. "I saw who it was. I know her name. She killed them."

"Who is she?" asked Sebastian, anger lacing his voice. He thought they had managed to kill the person who had made Ciel suffer for years on end. Reaching under, Sebastian grabbed a clammy hand, crawling under with him. "Tell m who she is. I'll deal with her."

Ciel shook his head, raising his head to reveal damp cheeks and red eyes, probably due from the amount of crying he had done.

"I can't tell you who she is. She'll use you as a sacrifice. I-I can't let her do that to you too..." mumbled Ciel, his fist clenching as h bit on his lip harshly. "Unclean, impure, like blackened snow."

Sebastian was confused. Did he just mimic someone who had already said something like that? It sounded vaguely familiar, but it could have been from a play or something.

"Lady Angela is her name." Ciel's eyes snapped open as Sebastian rolled out from under the bed, blinking when he saw Finian standing there nervously. "She killed Master Ciel's parents. She said that they wer-"

"Shut up!" shouted Ciel, coming out from under the bed and rubbing at his eyes furiously, looking at the boy who was two years younger than him with a furious expression. "Never say that name again! You know I hate it! You don't know if she can hear it or not!"

Sebastian frowned. One mystery popped up after another, and things did not look good.

* * *

><p>Sebastian stood around ten feet away as he looked at the building that had been burned down for a second time, letting Ciel have his privacy as he continued kneeling at his parents graves, leaving flowers and gripping his cap as a strong wind whipped past him. He was gripping his stomach softly, feeling a wave of nausea hit him before he let his hand fall limply at his side, raising to his feet.<p>

"You can go home now, Sebastian." murmured Ciel, looking up and smiling bitterly. "I can cope by myself. I'll be able to get used to this. I know it'll take a while to repair, but-"

Ciel froze when he felt himself being pulled into a hug, his breath catching in his throat as he slowly allowed his head to lean against Sebastian's shoulder, relaxing as he shivered lightly due to the wind.

"You expect me to let you live here without getting it repaired first?" said Sebastian, chuckling. "Stay with me for the moment, I'll get someone to fix it."

"But I-"

"I know you wish to stay close to them, but I doubt your parents would be happy if you stayed in a manor that was nearly burnt down." said Sebastian quietly. "I'll contact the building agencies when we get back and have them start mending it immediately. Just be patient, Ciel."

* * *

><p>A week later, Sebastian woke up, his tired eyes forcing themselves open as he stumbled out of bed, listening to the screaming that came from nearby. Walking up the stairway and into Ciel's bedroom, he kneeled to check if the boy was lying under the bed, surprised to find wasn't there. He glanced towards the bathroom and noticed the door was closed.<p>

Walking over, he knocked the door lightly; calling out softly before growing worried when he received no response. Opening the bathroom door, Sebastian froze when he saw the mirror that used to hang on the all lying in shards across the room before focusing on the bath tub. Ciel was lying in it, clutching as his bloodied fist while hissing at himself angrily.

"Nightmare?" Ciel shook his head, biting at his lip as he looked up at Sebastian, his blue eye staring into bright crimson.

"You're hungry." stated Ciel bluntly, shivering and gripping at his arms. "You should have told me Sebastian, you know it isn't healthy for you to resist the demon inside you."

"I do not wish to feed when you are in this state." said Sebastian truthfully, eyes glittering as he looked the boy over, feeling his stomach clench painfully. "I can eat regular food until-"

"Sebastian, eat." muttered Ciel, getting up from the bath tub and reaching over, gripping Sebastian's shoulders and opening his purple eye, watching Sebastian's red eye begin to glow as a chuckle entered the room from Sebastian's lips.

_"The little Bluebird is still trying to protect my vessel. How sweet."_ Ciel frowned and looked at Sebastian's slightly changed face, his facial expression cold.

"He protected me so I will protect him." muttered Ciel, grabbing the demon's hand and pulling the glove off, looking at the mark that was glowing boldly black. Hovering his hand over it, Ciel kept his purple eye up. "Feed and then go back to your undisturbed slumber, Demon_."_

"_Of course, little master."_ Ciel glared. On numerous accounts he had told Sebastian's inner demon to stop calling him that, but the demon always took delight in the arguments the boy would put up, so Ciel simply gave up on it. His eye glowed brightly as he bit as his lip, closing his eyes as he transferred some of his soul over, collapsing back into the tub moments later.

The demon tilted its head before it chuckled, leaving Sebastian's body and allowing his human body to collapse backwards, half caring that Sebastian landed on the glass shards of the mirror.

After a few minutes, Sebastian's eyes flickered open as he sat up abruptly, getting to his knees and leaning across the tub, picking Ciel up and holding the boy to his chest.

"Not the brightest move you've made yet Ciel..." murmured Sebastian, getting to his feet and walking back into the bedroom, looking at Ciel's bloody hand. "First of all, you smash a mirror with your hand and then decide to feed me at your weakest. You better be more careful."

He placed the unconscious boy back on the bed, tucking him in while grabbing a bandage from a nearby drawer, wrapping the hand up gently before reaching for the candle, blowing it out, leaving everything in black.

* * *

><p><em>'Unclean, impure, like blackened snow.'<em>

_An angel, her wings spread wide and an angelic smile on her face, her short silver hair blew in the slight breeze. She looked utterly beautiful, until Ciel noticed the blood staining her hands and his parents lying on the ground, their eyes clawed out._

_"Mother? Father?" Ciel bit his lip, Leaning forwards before growing rigid as the angel appeared in front of him, hiding the image with her wings as she reached down, stroking Ciel's cheek and leaving a trail of blood in its wake._

_''They have been cleared of their crimes, may they find peace in heaven.' Ciel shook, two blue eyes looking at the beautiful angel before him, one shining and the other glazed. 'I do not have to kill you, you haven't committed any crimes that would make you impure.'_

_"What did you do to mother and father?" he sounded panic-stricken, flinching as his hair was ruffled._

_'They have been forever silence.' Ciel blinked when he felt petal-soft fingers brush across his cheeks, catching stray tears. 'Stay as pure as snow my lovely Ciel, and you won't have to suffer as your parents did.'_

_He didn't make a move, unsure on what to say. It was as if time had skipped all of a sudden and he'd been pulled into a different dimension. He looked at himself, noticing he was in his twelve-year old form instead of his nine-year-old one._

_Looking up, he heard soft and gentle hymns being played, his fists clenching as he walked forwards through white hallways, coming to a set of marble doors. He pushed them open, about to walk through when he felt a hand cover his eyes._

_'You can go through if you say please.' said a sugar-sweet voice, making Ciel jerk in remembrance._

_"Angela?"_

_'Say please, my darling Ciel.' he bit at his lip before doing as told, feeling his eyes being uncovered as he blinked in confusion, seeing male and females, their wings outstretched as the silently sung in a beautiful tone as a screaming child with blood red eyes was chained to a table. Ciel was led to sit down near the front, frowning when he was forced to sit on Angela's lap._

_Watching the scene, he flinched at the screams and howls of the small demon child being chained to the table, its eyes glowing red in panic as Ciel tried to reach out for it, but Angela pulled his hand back._

_'Watch, my somewhat pure Ciel.' she whispered. Ciel watched as he was told, but shut his eyes quickly and looked away as the demon child was slaughtered right there and then earning a high-pitched singing tone as he covered his ears. 'This is what all demons are going to become. They will all be sacrificed in our cursed church of Sorrow.'_

_All demons? Ciel froze, opening his eyes and looking at the angel he hated most with eyes. Surely she couldn't also mean-_

_'And of course, he will be killed as a sacrifice here as well.'_

* * *

><p>Ciel woke up, panting lightly as he looked around, shivering as his purple eye closed. That was no ordinary dream. It showed him a clip of the past and then a clip of the present, and that was never a good thing. He slid off the bed, looking as the sun slowly rose up as he peeked through the curtains, his heart pounding.<p>

"Sebastian..." Ciel stopped, feeling a lump form as his throat as he whispered to himself incoherently. "She wants to kill you... I was meant... I was meant to... You're going to get killed and it's all my fault..."

* * *

><p><span>AN: This is where the story ends. The last chapter would have been the better ending, and it can still be counted as the last chapter... this is more a 'teaser' chapter than anything else.

The sequel will be published around the 8-10th January 2012 (let's hope that stupid prophecy doesn't come true and the world doesn't explode or whatever at new year x3)

See ya all then. Thank for all the lovely reviews, thanks to the people who subscribed and faved the story, it really encouraged me to continue since so many people looked forward to getting the new chapter. It really makes my day when you review. You see, one day I hope to become writer and all the positive feedback helps me focus on my goal.

Ciao~

P.S, Anyone want to take a guess what the Sequel is about?

* * *

><p><strong>Thorns Notes<strong>

**_Demon Categories_**

**Category One- Intelligence-** Demon's with this category can outsmart most with a simple twist of words and can turn mind games into reality if they can confuse the enemy enough.

**Category Two- Magic and Sorcery-** These demons were very sadistic when it comes to screwing with peoples heads, making the unreal happen and making humans truly believe they are 'angels' when clearly they are not. This is probably the least common category for demons, so it is quite rare for a demon to have it.

**Three- Strength and Natural abilities-** This is quite a common trait, leaving a demon to rely solely on combat ability or the natural ability they happened to have.

**_Seals_**

**Faustian Seal** – The Faustian seal is a contract in which you get the service of a demon in exchange for your soul. The demon does not get a choice in his orders and has to obey no matter what. If they disobey, then they are not entitled to take their contractors soul and will become damaged. Nearly a double-edged sword seal.

**Soul Seal** – The simplest of simple contracts. This is the contract Ciel used with Sebastian. In exchange for Sebastian always being there for Ciel but not actually having to do the contractors bidding, he gets fed a little bit of soul whenever the demon inside him grows hungry.

Sebastian, however, treats the seal quite like a Faustian, but protects Ciel without needing to be promised a part of Ciel's soul.

This seal can be given to more than one demon at a time, but in 'Thorns', Ciel's soul isn't yet strong enough to split it, therefore when John Anderson, the OC I made for 'Thorns' tried to make a split contract with Ciel, it resulted and neither of them getting fed.

The simple 'Soul Seal' is one young people a part of the Phantomhive family tends to use if they aren't sure they're willing to go straight to hell. This is the contract Ciel will be using for a while.

**Demon Seal** – A Demon seal won't be appearing until 'Thorns II: Finding a Bluebird'. It's a seal that allows a demon to turn themselves into a human for a certain amount of years before turning back again. It was a Phantomhive member from over 100 years ago that made up the seal, but no one in Ciel's time can do it, well, apparently. Sebastian was actually under this seal which had been cast by Ciel's father Vincent, but since Ciel placed the 'Soul seal' (check above) on Sebastian, it prevented the Demon Seal from working. It shows in the first one before Sebastian got the 'Soul Seal' that he was starting to lose control of the demon inside him, but then Ciel prevented the Demon from breaking free by putting another seal on top.

It'll show in the second that the demon in Sebastian goes on a rampage since he agreed with Vincent Phantomhive on what kind of contract he wanted in exchange for not hurting Ciel when he was a little boy.

Really, a demon seal is where a demon is sealed inside a human (who at this point was chosen to have a strong enough soul to hold it, therefore becomes the vessel) for up to a maximum of twenty years. It shows that Sebastian was beginning to lose control at the age of seventeen, and before the demon could break out Ciel dealt with it.

The demon seal is to hide a demon inside a human, last known user was Vincent Phantomhive.

**_Sealing Chains_**

**Demon chain-** The Demon Chain won't pop up until 'Thorns II: Finding a Bluebird'. A demon chain is usually used in hell to stop Demon's from entering the human world, but a number of them were stole when Ciel was only six years old.

Ciel has problems with these chains further on in the second story of the series, considering Sebastian suddenly vanished when a fallen Angel tried to kidnap him and keeps haunting his dreams about how his innocence has been shattered by making a 'Soul Seal' with Sebastian.

It was the fallen Angel that stole the chains and trapped Sebastian, not in hell, not in heaven, but a cursed church full of fallen angels.

**Human chain- **The human chain pop up until 'Thorns II: Finding a Bluebird'. A Human chain is used to seal a human's special ability, which resulted in Ciel not being able to keep his contract with Sebastian, which resulted in him not being able to help Sebastian at all as he was trapped in the cursed church.

A human chain seals abilities and causes life to pause when it's been used, meaning that Ciel will never grow older until the person who placed it on him dies or a skilled demon takes it off him.

**Angel Chain- **The Angel Chain was made after the incident that happened in hell with Angels stealing Demon Chains, capturing Demon fledglings and sacrificing them at their cursed church.

An Angel chain can be used to repel them from certain areas or bind them to the heavens or hell. It was many a years ago that the war between angels and demons happened, but another one occurs after Ciel's new assignment from the queen.

An Angel chain has it's loopholes though. If an Angel ever wanted to escape, all the had to do was cut off their wings and become human, but even then they still had special abilities and a human chain would not work on them.

Further on in 'Thorns II: Finding a Bluebird', it shows how demons make an 'Angel Advance Chain' which is used right at the end.

**Angel Advance Chain- **The Angel Advance chain is used at the end of 'Thorns II: Finding a Bluebird'. It strips a fallen angel of all powers and their wings, dying the most painful death possible. It is also used in 'Thorns III: (undetermined name) briefly, but it's in the starting chapter.


End file.
